Part 1, Salvaging Renaissance Summary

Riley's lesson about Michelangelo is predictably offbeat. Riley tells Cy that Michelangelo was born in 1475, died in 1564. Living 89 years wasn't bad back them. Michelangelo was a painter, architect, sculptor and poet, all relevant in the tattooing trade. He had a calling and was his own boss. Not everybody liked his stretchy style. The most important thing to remember about Michelangelo is that he had a hard time getting blue paint to use on special things. Same thing today. The riddle of blue ink must be cracked. There are five colors in the tattooing pallet and a limited archive of symbols. Red, brown, yellow, green and black must capture all of life's joys and sorrows. Blue is unstable and misbehaves when left in the skin.

Riley's upstairs rooms are cold, claustrophobic and disorderly. Cy's room is monastically bare, with an...